{"id":3064,"date":"2026-08-18T14:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T10:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mj-developpement.mu\/?p=3064"},"modified":"2026-08-18T14:15:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T10:15:44","slug":"black-river-gorges-mauritius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mj-developpement.mu\/en\/blog\/black-river-gorges-mauritius\/","title":{"rendered":"Black River Gorges, the green lung of Mauritius"},"content":{"rendered":"

Covering 6,574 hectares of protected tropical forest, Black River Gorges National Park<\/strong> is home to the largest stretch of intact woodland left in Mauritius.<\/p>\n

MJ D\u00e9veloppement Maurice<\/a> introduces this sanctuary in the south-west, protected since 1994: its hiking trails, its endemic wildlife and the sites worth combining on a day out in the island\u2019s highlands.<\/p>\n

Key facts at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Criterion<\/th>\nWhat to remember<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Area<\/td>\n6,574 hectares<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Created<\/td>\nA national park since 15 June 1994<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Highest point<\/td>\nPiton de la Rivi\u00e8re Noire, 828 metres<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trail network<\/td>\nAround 60 km of waymarked trails<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wildlife to spot<\/td>\nNine endemic bird species, including the Mauritius kestrel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The park\u2019s endemic wildlife and plant life<\/h2>\n

The park protects the nine endemic bird species<\/strong> still found in Mauritius, among them the Mauritius kestrel, the pink pigeon and the echo parakeet.<\/p>\n

That diversity is the result of long-running conservation work<\/strong>, with some areas fenced off and invasive species removed, such as the rusa deer and the Chinese guava that threaten the native forest.<\/p>\n

The range of microclimates<\/strong>, from humid upland forest to dry lowland forest, explains the wealth of plant life on the site, one of the last original tropical forests in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBlack River is the best place in Mauritius to spot the kestrel, a bird of prey that came close to extinction before repopulating this massif thanks to conservation programmes,\u201d says Jean Etchepareborde, Managing Director of MJ D\u00e9veloppement.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hiking in Black River Gorges<\/h2>\n

The park has around 60 km of waymarked trails<\/strong>, spread across several levels of difficulty:<\/p>\n